Rehabilitation Services


Department of Employment and Economic Development
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
1649 West Main Street
Albert Lea, MN 56007
Direct: 507-379-3409 Fax: 507-379-3413
www.PositivelyMinnesota.com/vrs



Who can get Rehabilitation Services?
You may be able to get vocational rehabilitation services from Rehabilitation Services (RS) if you have a disability that makes it hard for you to get a job. RS is for people with disabilities who need services to get read for work or to find or keep a job. To help decide if you can get services, your counselor will ask you if it’s okay to look at reports from your doctor or other people who may know about you.

RS would like to be able to work with all people who have a disability. However, we don’t always have enough staff or funds to do so. When this happens, people with severe disabilities that cause serious limitations in terms of work will get services before other people.

RS will look at how well you do in seven areas:
q Getting from one place to another
q Talking and listening to others
q Taking care of yourself
q Making plans or carrying out your plans
q Getting along with other people
q Having the skills to work
q Needing changes at work to do a job

People who have serious limitations in these areas will get services first.
This is called “Order of Selection”.

How long will it take?

A RS counselor will tell you within 60 days after you apply if you can get services. Sometimes we can’t get all the information we need that fast and still make a good decision. If we need more than 60 days, your counselor will tell you why and ask if it’s okay with you to take longer. If it’s not okay, then the counselor will have to decide without all the facts. If RS can’t help you, we will tell you about other people who can.

What can RS do?

RS has many services. You and your counselor will pick the ones that are best for you. Some of them are:
q Counseling
q Training
q Finding a job
q Keeping a job
q Assistive technology